🏈 UGAs fake punt.....stupiest play of year

[BAMAneck]

 

[Secondand26]

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Wish I could give it more than 1 "thumbs up"!!

 

[TerryP]

But, but, it would've been genius if they had pulled it off.

 

[RollllTide!]

Every play is designed for two things. To make a score and to be a secret to the defense. Usually you can have a general idea based on how they line up but not always like the fake punt. Kirby must have looked at Gus's game plan and wiped the fairy dust off.

 

[rick4bama]

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Wish I could give it more than 1 "thumbs up"!!

Her you go! @Secondand26 !!

 

[TerryP]

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Wish I could give it more than 1 "thumbs up"!!

That's actually coming soon...in a sense.

 

[OldPlayer]

Everybody knew it was going to be a fake. They typically lined up for a punt with three linemen as the up backs protecting the punter. When they lined for the fake, there were no linemen as up backs. The only person in that role was the backup QB - duh! It was supposed to be a quick snap, but Alabama had their defense in, not a punt return team. It was sniffed out quickly.

 

[Tidestalker]

Boy, we got cute in the red zone when we should have flexed some muscle all night. Personnel choices and play calls were terrible. What happens to the game plan that worked so well vs LSU? Worked for Jaw-jaw.

When coach went for the blocked punt late in the first half with Waddle standing on the 50, I was thinking this is going to take an epic effort just to repeat last season's results.

Thank you, Kirby, 4th and 11 and everyone and their brother could see Fields on the punting team. Odd that Kirby flinched before his team did. In a night full of questionable coaching decisions that's was the worst.

Totally agreed. Our QB sneaks were the most awkward calls of the season...I don't recall Tua ever running those. And passing those 3 plays in a row in the red zone on drive 1 was also questionable. Hell, all game it felt like we were desperate to pass.

But... It worked out. Because:

Kirby made one of the dumbest calls i have EVER seen. I mean, ever. That made no sense. We had our backup QB in and would have had to drive nearly the length of the field under serious pressure. The only thing I can think of is that he just didn't want to give Waddle a chance... Which may be somewhat justifiable because that kid is amazing, but his play was either botched or just bad. Looked completely out of sync!

 

[planomateo]

Where was the biggest mistake in all of this?

1. Putting Justin Fields (backup QB) in during the fake punt.
2. Not calling a timeout from the sidelines when the play didn't progress in time.

Putting Fields on the field tips your hat right? I mean, why in the hell is the backup mobile QB on the field.
When the play isn't progressing quick enough, the coach should call a timeout.

Hell, I'm just glad we were in the right frame of mind to deal with the fake. We got caught once this year.

 

[TerryP]

Kirby made one of the dumbest calls i have EVER seen.

It wasn't a dumb call. It wasn't a bad call. It was handled badly by Kirby.

UGA had seen, on film, a hole in Bama's "punt/defense safe" and they tried to exploit this.. It was a good call. How it was executed is where it all fell apart.

Where was the biggest mistake in all of this?

1. Putting Justin Fields (backup QB) in during the fake punt.
2. Not calling a timeout from the sidelines when the play didn't progress in time.

Matt breaks it down perfectly here.

One, there's no reason for Fields to be in at that point. Just as @OldPlayer pointed out seeing Fields was a red flag. It's just as important to note just about any offensive player could have made that pass. The mistake was personnel, not the call.

Matt's second point echo's the first. Kirby should have called a timeout. That leads to this question. Who was it that had the 'ability' to check out of the play? The only logical choice there is Fields—a true frosh with little experience in the game itself and no experience calling out of a fake punt when the defense adjusted.

Do you trust your players to make the change in the call? You can, but certainly not someone like Fields.

 

[Tidestalker]

Kirby made one of the dumbest calls i have EVER seen.

It wasn't a dumb call. It wasn't a bad call. It was handled badly by Kirby.

I disagree for obvious reasons... As a coach the most important in game situation you handle is "Time & Score". With only 3 mins & knowing Saban's general feeling of conservatism and just generally not wanting his team to make catastrophic mistakes, Kirby did not take into account us having a backup QB in at that point. Make the backup BEAT YOU. You don't give him half the field. Not to mention there was enough time on the clock and Alabama with TO's, that even if UGA scores Bama gets the ball back.

Now throw in the idea that when Fields comes in the game, obviously 1 of 37 analysists on the staff had to alert the boss. It was a brutally stupid call for those reasons IMO lost the game for his team. Yes they may have lost in OT but when you have a starting QB vs a backup (granted Jalen is not a normal backup), you play for that at worst.

 

[planomateo]

Let's say they actually punted and didn't try the fake. We'd start at the 15 yard line? We'd have 57 seconds to drive the extra 35 yards, Georgia wouldn't have gotten the ball back.

I don't think there was anything Georgia could have done to stop Alabama from scoring last night to win the game.

I'm not sure the fake punt cost them the game, the game shifted well before that. The missed FG didn't matter either, as the final score was by 7.

 

[TerryP]

I disagree for obvious reasons... As a coach the most important in game situation you handle is "Time & Score". With only 3 mins & knowing Saban's general feeling of conservatism and just generally not wanting his team to make catastrophic mistakes, Kirby did not take into account us having a backup QB in at that point. Make the backup BEAT YOU. You don't give him half the field. Not to mention there was enough time on the clock and Alabama with TO's, that even if UGA scores Bama gets the ball back.

So, we're trying to find a way to criticize Kirby for trying to win the game. Okay. He was doing exactly what you're suggesting he should have done—aware of the time and the score. Kirby didn't take into account Jalen was playing? Seriously? After he'd led Bama back to tie the game?

What Bama did in that situation is what Bama does in every situation like that. They are always in punt safe. The field position dictates that. The game was tied and there's little to no reward for punting in that situation. You say, "make the backup beat you." The backup was beating them.

If you want to question something about the play call you can look at this "hole" Kirby referred to. It really wasn't there. They tried to disguise a receiver being covered up but the defense noticed the set (tipped off by Fields primarily) and defended the attempt. If UGA's receiver would have been on the line the intended receiver would have been covered up. Credit goes to the defense because they recognized the mistake—the personnel employed for that fake.

 

[Tidestalker]

I disagree for obvious reasons... As a coach the most important in game situation you handle is "Time & Score". With only 3 mins & knowing Saban's general feeling of conservatism and just generally not wanting his team to make catastrophic mistakes, Kirby did not take into account us having a backup QB in at that point. Make the backup BEAT YOU. You don't give him half the field. Not to mention there was enough time on the clock and Alabama with TO's, that even if UGA scores Bama gets the ball back.

So, we're trying to find a way to criticize Kirby for trying to win the game. Okay. He was doing exactly what you're suggesting he should have done—aware of the time and the score. Kirby didn't take into account Jalen was playing? Seriously? After he'd led Bama back to tie the game?

What Bama did in that situation is what Bama does in every situation like that. They are always in punt safe. The field position dictates that. The game was tied and there's little to no reward for punting in that situation. You say, "make the backup beat you." The backup was beating them.

If you want to question something about the play call you can look at this "hole" Kirby referred to. It really wasn't there. They tried to disguise a receiver being covered up but the defense noticed the set (tipped off by Fields primarily) and defended the attempt. If UGA's receiver would have been on the line the intended receiver would have been covered up. Credit goes to the defense because they recognized the mistake—the personnel employed for that fake.

Agree to disagree.

It didn't work and will be remembered how it should be by both sides. Much thanks to Kirby for all he's done for Alabama!

 

[OldPlayer]

Let's say they actually punted and didn't try the fake. We'd start at the 15 yard line? We'd have 57 seconds to drive the extra 35 yards, Georgia wouldn't have gotten the ball back.

I don't think there was anything Georgia could have done to stop Alabama from scoring last night to win the game.

I'm not sure the fake punt cost them the game, the game shifted well before that. The missed FG didn't matter either, as the final score was by 7.

You're right. One play cannot be pointed to as the reason for a loss. There are several plays (failures to convert 3rd downs, missed FG, Waddle's TD reception) that contributed to UGA's loss. Some people like to point to a single event, but there are many events that contribute to the loss or the win.

 

[UAgrad93]

It was open.....

Yep! It was open until it wasn't.

 

[ColAngus]

Their defense was gassed. I bet Bama would still have driven the ball into scoring range.

 

[CmnRef]

Personally I prefer to remember this game as a great come from behind win led by a player who deserves our praise and not a bone headed play by the opposing coach.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Personally I prefer to remember this game as a great come from behind win led by a player who deserves our praise and not a bone headed play by the opposing coach.

Well...ok.....can and willbe remembered as such....UGA may say...the attempt and roughing at the end of half was dumb.....instead of giving bama great field position
( more than likely anyway)....with our offense and a minute to go...
But... Bama won....so didn’t matter

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

John Chavis is known as "3rd and Chavis"
Kirby Smart should be known as '4th and Kirby"

"When you strike at a King, you must kill him"........Ralph Waldo Emerson